1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to telephone communication systems, and particularly to optional telephone network services.
The terminology "automatic answering device" as used in this patent application is intended to mean any telephone recording system, machine, circuitry, device, or service which will answer a telephone call for the end user(s) or subscriber(s) to whom the telephone line is registered or otherwise assigned to be used by.
2. Description of Prior Art
At the present time, a calling party may be connected to and billed for a telephone call to a line that is answered by an automatic answering device. Having the called line answered by an automatic answering device may surprise the calling party. The calling party may be adverse to responding to an automatic answering device. This also may be a call made at long distance rates and entail substantial cost for an unsatisfactory communication attempt.
Most calling parties do not anticipate that the line they are calling will be answered by an automatic answering device, and when in fact the called line is answered by an automatic answering device, they are caught by surprise.
Some calling parties know there is a possibility of an automatic answering device being enabled on the line they are calling, but must wait for the called line to answer to find out for sure.